14 Cleaning Hacks You Should Know
14. Cleaning a burnt pan- Scrubb ing heated pan seems impossible to clean,
especially if it is covered in black all around. You might think soaking it in water overnight
will make it easier to lift the scorched area, only to find out that it
didn’t work. Well, there is an easier solution! Fill the pan or pot with water and add a cup
of vinegar in the solution. For extensive burns add more vinegar. Put the pan on the
stove and bring it to a boil for a few minutes. Then take the pan off the burner and add in
two or three tablespoons of baking soda to the mixture. Let the baking soda fizzle before
emptying the mixture from the bowl. After about five minutes, scrub the pan with the
rough side of your sponge. You may need to wash the pan for thirty to fifty seconds thoroughly,
but the burn spots should come out. If the burns spots are stubborn, just drizzle some
more baking soda on top and scrub away. Repeat until you are satisfied, but otherwise, this
method should look good as new!
13. Use Alcohol to Remove Stains on Microfiber- If you have a few stains or spills on your
microfiber couch, regular rubbing alcohol, not liquor can make your sofa look brand new
again! All you will need is a white bristle brush, using any colored brush that isn’t
white can transfer the color so do not use anything other than a white brush. You will
also need a white sponge. Just simply pour the rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and
spray the affected area and use your sponge to rub the stain away. Then wait a few minutes
for the alcohol to dry. Afterward, you can use your brush to smooth the fibers on your
couch and voila’!
12. Shining Wood Furniture- If you have wood furniture that needs a little TLC, well you
don’t have to buy any cleaning products from the store. You can make your own furniture
polish that is cheap and free of any harsh chemicals, plus you can use the stuff you
already have at home! All you will need is ¾ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of distilled white
vinegar, and a small plastic container. Gather all the ingredients and mix it all in a small
bottle or bowl. Shake the mixture before using and apply a small amount on a cloth and gently
polish the wood. The olive oil helps the wood while the vinegar keeps it clean and fresh.
You can let it air dry or wipe it off. Store the solution in your fridge to keep it for
future use.
11. Cleaning a Kitchen Sponge- Kitchen sponges can pick up a lot of bacteria. Most of the
time they’re left in the sink and aren’t stored properly, and we use our kitchen sponges
to clean up the worst messes which can spread bacteria to other places. A wet or damp sponge
is the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and most kitchen sponges should be
replaced every two months but how many of us actually do that? Well, the good news is,
you don’t always have to throw out your sponges. You prolong the life of your sponge
by properly cleaning and disinfecting it. Pop your sponge in the microwave for about
30 to 34 seconds to kill any bacteria. Just be cautious when pulling it out as it’ll
still be hot to the touch. You can also pop your sponge in the dishwasher to get it clean
again.
10. Dryer Sheets- Most of us don’t pay attention to dryer sheets. Once we’ve used them in
the dryer, most of us just throw them away. But even after they’ve been used dryer sheets
come in handy for other purposes around the house. You can use them to buff out those
hard water spots on your bathroom mirrors, shower doors, and kitchen fixtures. You can
use them to wipe your baseboards clean and wipe away white deodorant marks. You can also
use a dryer sheet to soak up grease in a pan for easier cleaning, or you can reuse them
to freshen up a small room!
9. Cleaning Floor Tricks- Cleaning the floors is a chore everyone hates. Not only does it
take up a lot of time but it’s tiresome. Thankfully there are a few tricks to make
it less of a hassle. If you have scratches on your laminate flooring, you use steel-wool
from underneath the sink and give it a light buff. The scratch should disappear! Carpet
stains are the worse to clean but can make a homemade solution that combines some water,
vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing soap to get rid of those unwanted stains. Or you
can also use ammonia and water as a substitute.
8. Removing Stubborn Stains From Plastic Cutting Boards- You wash, and you scrub, but it seems
like no matter what you try, you can’t get rid of the stains on your cutting board. While
there are many methods online to restore it, there is one little secret that is foolproof!
Use a lemon wedge! You can use lemon essential oil or lemon juice as well, but soak a sponge
in a half lemon and water solution.Then lay the cutting board flat on a table in the sun
and let it sit for a day. Afterward, the stain should lift!
7. Cleaning Sneakers- Shoes take time to clean, you might think throwing it in the washer
would zap those stains away. While it does help, it still doesn’t completely get it
to look brand new. Well, there are a few shoe hacks that should help. You can make a toothpaste,
baking soda paste and use an old toothbrush and scrub away. It’ll help get rid of grime
and scuff spots on the sole. Not only is the mixture gentle on your shoes, but it’s a
simple fix and is virtually inexpensive. This helps to prolong your favorite pair of sneakers
and saves you a lot of money down the road.
6. Unclogging a Drain- When water starts to build up, and you notice that there’s a
strange odor, then it’s time to unclog the drain. Most of us will try and use our fingers
to pick up whatever we can, but it’s pretty gross, luckily there are a few quick tricks
to make your life easier. The first one is using a bent wire hanger to unclog the drain.
With this method, you should be able to grab all sorts of hair and gunk in the sink. When
you’re done just slowly pour boiling water down the drain for an easy cleanup. Another
method is using a baking soda and vinegar solution. First mix 1/3rd of a cup of vinegar
and 1/3rd of a cup of baking soda. If you don’t own a measuring cup, try to get the
dry baking soda down the drain and then pour the vinegar. Once it starts to fizzle, our
it down the clogged drain. This helps break down the grime inside the drain, and you can
let it sit for one hour or overnight if you choose. Then flush out the solution with hot
water.
5. Removing Water Rings- Sometimes condensation from glasses, mugs, bottles and cans can leave
behind a nasty whitened ring on your coffee table. Most of the time this can be avoided
by using coasters. But if you have some water rings on your furniture, there is a simple
solution to get rid of them without replacing your entire table. Use a hair dryer on the
highest setting and put it close to the ring. Hold it there for at least three minutes,
and you’ll notice that it’ll start to vanish. Once it’s completely gone, you can
use olive oil or mineral to fix and recondition the wood!
4. Toothpaste Cleaning Hacks- Aside from just brushing your teeth, there are some uses for
this household item that can be incorporated into our everyday lives. You can use toothpaste
to remove lipstick and grass stains from your clothing. All you do is apply some toothpaste
on the stain and rub it well and then rinse it off with warm water and wash it in the
laundry as normal. You can use toothpaste to clean your jewelry, anywhere from diamond
rings to gold pendants; toothpaste can make it shine. Pet stains, coffee or wine can also
easily come off when you put some toothpaste on the affected area. Just take a sponge and
scrub the area and rinse with water. Lastly, you can use toothpaste to clean your headlights.
Just mix some toothpaste in a bowl with warm water and use a buffer pad to wipe away the
grime and dirt.
3. Cleaning Glitter- Making arts and crafts with your child or friends is awesome and
fun. However cleaning up after can be time-consuming. Well ditch the cleaning products and grab
these simple household tools instead. Cleaning up glitter is a delicate process, it usually
ends up on your clothes, hands and hair making it a pain to wash off. Well, the good thing
is there’s an easier way to pick it up and clean it off. Use a lint roller to wipe up
any glitter left on the counter or carpet. If you don’t have a lint roller, you can
also use Play-doh as an alternative. Just press over the affected area to lift it up!
You can also use a balloon and static electricity to pick up glitter, or you can go the traditional
route and use a vacuum hose to clean it up.
2. Get Rid of Lingering Smells-Whether you’re cooking or the garbage can is exuding a stinky
odor, there are quick hacks to reduce these smells without any hassle. Baking soda left
overnight on carpets can make some magic! While it sounds bizarre, boiling a pot of
vinegar and water on the stove can mask smells, vinegar is highly acidic and also has many
other household uses. You can also cut an onion in half and leave it overnight in your
shoe closet to freshen it up. Once the onion smell fades, will the other lingering odors.
You can use a lemon rind to deodorize your garbage disposal. Just toss it in and turn
on the switch, grinding them releases a fresh and citrus scent.
1. Using Hairspray to Remove Permanent Marker- Whether it’s colored markers or a black
Sharpie, permanent marker is a pain to remove and every parent’s worst nightmare. You
can scrub for hours on end, and you might think repainting is the only solution. But
this one little cleaning hack is a lifesaver. Just use hairspray! Spray the hairspray over
the marker and wipe it away with a damp cloth! Not only is hairspray inexpensive but there
are also many other uses for it. You can use hairspray to remove stains on clothes, and
you can use hairspray to repel static on your shirt.